Bringing it Home
by auAVERY
Summary: AU! War is brewing in the Enchanted Forest, so Snow and Charming hire a tutor to help Emma learn to control her magic. But when they become separated chasing down a thief and a pirate, getting both of them back to the capitol is the goal. Imagine their surprise when they discover that neither man is what they seem, and that they may have just found the solution to the whole war.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello! I'm still working on The Lady and the Sea, so don't fret! But I had this idea the other day, and though it didn't end up at all where I first imagined it would, I have this entire story planned out too. So hopefully I can alternate between the two throughout the week to keep them both fresh. AH, WRITER'S BLOCK. HOW I LOVE THEE.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned these babies, I wouldn't be writing on here, now would I? *grumbles***

* * *

As morning rose over the trees, the sun's earliest rays dashed through the windows and across the pillows of Emma's bed. The princess wasn't there, however, as dawn managed to rise even later than she and her tutor did. Not that she was happy about it.

"Can we at least eat something?" she asked, still rubbing at her eyes as they stood outside, mere meters from the front door of the royal country home. She could practically hear the soft mattress calling to her through the glass, but Lady Regina was insistent. If she could control her magic on little sleep and as soon as she woke in the morning, then she could do it whenever, according to the older woman.

Emma, recently twenty, was only a few years younger than Regina, who had been brought into the royal household with the express purpose of helping the young princess learn how to use the ability her parents' true love had given her. Sometimes Emma felt certain that Regina would rather be off somewhere else, living her own life, but she'd heard tell of the brunette's mother, Cora. According to the stories, Cora was not one to be refused, so Emma supposed she couldn't blame Regina for going along with things.

She had made a silent promise, though, to help Regina find a better, happier life once this whole war business was over and she understood magic better.

"We can take breakfast after you get this stick to levitate and snap in half," Regina countered, earning an unamused frown from the princess.

Emma sighed, but adjusted her stance as she'd been shown, and extended a hand towards the so-called stick that definitely looked more like a branch. But she had no real room to argue, so instead she tried to focus, holding onto that drive for food and maybe even a nap.

"Open your eyes."

She did, indeed, but mostly out of surprise. Emma had no idea when she'd closed them, but the stick was still on the ground. She huffed, jerking her hand forward even further, as if that would help. The stick twitched, and her face lit up hopefully. Nothing else happened. "Ugh!" she complained, throwing her her arms to either side and fidgeting. "There has to be a way to make this easier."

Regina crossed her arms, leaning against the tree Emma was pretty sure the _branch_ had been taken from. "Do you not want your magic, princess? It's okay to be afraid of it, but once you accept it and can control it, you'll have no need for fear anymore. Not when it comes to your own powers."

"I don't know," Emma admitted, her eyebrows pulling together. "I just can't feel it. I know it's there. I've done it on accident, before you were brought to the castle."

"Right, but you told me that you did it out of fear."

"My horse took off underneath me and I panicked," she nodded. "A tree dropped its leaves to make a place for me to land. I don't... I don't know if I can do it whenever I just feel like it."

Regina tilted her head, clearly thinking it over. "Perhaps you just need to tap into some sort of emotion to do it."

Emma lifted her eyebrows skeptically, taking on a tone that wasn't strictly ladylike – especially for a princess. "And I'm supposed to feel emotional about a random, broken piece of wood?"

That won her a disapproving glare, so Emma held her hands up in mock apology. Still, they were more or less at a standoff after that, with Emma squinting at the branch and Regina failing to see why Emma wouldn't just try and give in to the way magic felt. Finally, when their stomachs were growling riotously, Emma declared that it was just too bad if Regina wanted to continue, because she was starving.

Striding back indoors, the blonde finally released her hair from the pathetic attempt at pulling it back that morning, combing her fingers through it as she went through their pantry. "We'll need to pick up some things at the market nearby," she mused, mostly to herself as she was fairly certain Regina probably had not followed her into the kitchen.

"We can go today. Perhaps getting out of this house would help to clear away that frustration you've been feeling."

"We've only been here a week," Emma pointed out with a frown that quickly straightened out. "I should be more patient. But with the war-"

"I know."

Turning, Emma passed Regina an apologetic look, then tossed her an apple on her way to collect her cloak and change into clothes more appropriate for riding into the closest village.

* * *

By midday, the women had made it into Wortham, a particularly small village near the coast, which was known for its market, to which a surprising number of merchants regularly traveled. With the port so close, Emma supposed that it made sense; what better way for artisans from the country to sell their wares, and what better place for sailors to collect supplies and things for trade? Learning about her kingdom had always been important to her, as people like the ones in Wortham were the real backbone and meat of their economy.

Still, she had to remain off of their radar, particularly with their enemies still being so hard to pin down. Her cloak hood was pinned into her hair, and she wore a simple dress, very different from those she would've worn back home. It was lucky, really, that most people in this part of the kingdom probably had no idea what she looked like. Her parents, on the other hand, were exceptionally well known. So she could only hope that she didn't look enough like them, in this state, for people to catch on.

Emma trailed along behind Regina as they moved through the town, but dismounted when they reached the stables and paid to house their horses there until they were finished shopping. As much as Emma wanted to stop and try out the strange pastries that looked sort of like weaved dough and topped with powdery sugar, they had things to do. So she ignored how wonderful the sweets stalls smelled and instead looked for produce and things that wouldn't go bad in a hurry. Regina was better about such things, as the real chef between the two of them, but Emma enjoyed learning about culinary tricks and rules.

With heavy bags on each of their shoulders and lighter coin purses stuffed into their pockets, the women were heading back to the stables a different way, more or less taking a scenic route to see what other sorts of stalls were around.

A man darted past them, knocking into Regina and drawing out an angry glare in return. "So sorry!" he called over his shoulder, his hood hiding his face for the most part. But he definitely looked like a local man, with forest-toned garments and sturdy-looking boots. Regina shook her head, glancing at Emma in an attempt to find the humor in it rather than just irritation.

Emma smiled, shrugging good-naturedly. But as she looked forward again, she just about stopped in surprise. "Is that-?"

"Magic," Regina confirmed, her eyes falling on the stall that had caught the princess' attention.

They both seemed to come to the same conclusion: This was something they needed to investigate. Even if it didn't help Emma, maybe it could help the kingdom against their enemies. Just as they approached the front, however, someone stepped up before them, so the girls held back, not wanting to intercept them.

The stranger, a man dressed almost exclusively in black leather, looked rather frightening. But on the other hand, he came off as rather polite, addressing the merchant with some level of respect. Emma made a point of not listening to the particulars of the transaction, though, and instead started asking Regina about one of the amulets hanging from a velvet stand.

Before Regina could get into any sort of detail, though, the merchant shouted out in shock as someone rushed past them.

"It's that man again!" Emma gasped, jumping out of the way.

The merchant charged forward, pointing after the thief and shouting out to the other sellers and customers. Regina looked horribly tempted to use her magic, but clenched her hand and stared after them. Back at the stall, though, that dangerous-looking man with all the leather was messing with his coat. Emma squinted at him, her eyes darting across the stall. Why was he just standing there? Her gaze landed on an open box, clearly knocked over and out of place.

He glanced at the merchant before turning and taking off.

"Hey!" Emma shouted, starting towards him. Predictably, she went completely unnoticed by him as he picked up the pace. Regina grabbed her arm, forcing her to a stop. The princess bristled, angry that the poor, honest merchant (as far as she knew, admittedly) had just been ripped off by multiple people at once. It was then that she caught sight of the thief, skidding around a corner and heading in the same direction as the second man. "They're together," she announced, pointing.

"We'll go get them if you tell us what's been taken," Regina told the merchant firmly, her tone offering no room for rejection.

But it didn't matter, though. He frowned at them, shaking his head. "I'll go find some hired men or guards," he replied, blatantly dismissing them. "With their.. training, they will better track them down."

Emma lifted an eyebrow. "You mean because they're men they are automatically going to do a better job."

"Emma-" Regina cut in, holding a hand up.

But the blonde just rolled her eyes and stormed off, leaving Regina behind. The tutor sighed, watching the direction her student went before looking back at the merchant again. "Very well. But if we come across them again, or across the items, we could see that they are returned to you. Can you tell me what's missing? We have come here from the capitol and could mention it to the royal guards if it's particularly valuable."

So as the man shot her a reluctant look and headed towards his wares to determine what all was gone, Emma kept walking, openly looking for one or both of the men. And by the time Regina turned around, looking down the main road for her charge, she realized all at once that the princess had disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

The merchant had led Regina over to his stall, assessing the damages. After picking around for a few minutes, he groaned rather helplessly, his hands dropping to his sides. "The thief took my coin purse," he told her, looking devastated. "All of my sales, useless."

Opening his left hand, he dropped something green and flimsy onto the stall's counter, which Regina reached for immediately. Why was it so familiar? "What is this?"

"I tried to grab the thief's cloak," he said, shaking his head in defeat. But then he cast his gaze across the rest of his stall and a fiery anger warped his expression, heating up his eyes. "They took it."

"Took what?"

He turned on her, suspicious. Openly so. "What use have you for a magic bean? Are you trying to keep me distracted?"

Regina blanched. "What?! Of course not, you dolt! I'm trying to help, and you're blaming me? I don't think so."

And that was when she turned away, furious and determined not to help him. That, then, was the moment she realized Princess Emma had disappeared. Her gaze drifted to the swatch of fabric in her hand, clearly torn from the first man's clothes, and she made a rash decision. If she couldn't track Emma down directly, she could track down the men - or at least one of the men - that had likely taken her. Had they realized who she was? Emma wasn't stupid enough to tell them the truth, so that must have been it. Or they could have heard her calling after them in warning and decided not to risk her bringing them any additional attention.

Either way, she was wasting time now. Taking off down the street in the direction she'd seen Emma go, Regina ducked into the tree line, hoping that they had not stuck to the main roads, as magic like this was impossible to hide from the eyes of strangers. From her personal bag, she pulled a locator potion, thankful that she had been so paranoid about something like this happening during their country stay. She just hoped, ironically enough, that they really _had_ taken the princess; otherwise, this could prove to be a massive waste.

Better, though, to use it now than to wait, go back to their home, find something of hers and use it once they were too far gone for Regina to keep up with the magic. As she doused the fabric with the contents of her vial, she had only to wait a moment before the scrap lifted up into the air and took off, not bothering to wait for her.

Emma had no idea what to do once the men split up ahead of her. They could run faster than she could, so by the time they veered right into the woods and came to a little glen, she was still too far behind to hear what they were saying. It looked, however, like they did not know each other well. Their goodbye was awkward and brief, with both men walking off only to look back in turn at the other. They didn't trust each other, that much was plain.

She was torn, though. The thief was heading back towards the town, albeit through the woods, while the man in leather... he was heading towards the coast. The docks, to be specific. Was he a-? Oh, no. He had to be, didn't he? The hook and the whole darkness about him.

 _Pirate._

If he had come all the way to little bitty Wortham for something hidden away in a magical merchant's shop, that item must have been incredibly important to him. Which, obviously, was deeply concerning. Especially as someone whose family had promised to protect the Enchanted Forest and everyone within it.

She followed the pirate.

He moved swiftly despite what appeared to be a slight limp. Or was that just a strange walking habit because he so seriously favored the arm that was missing a hand? She couldn't tell. But he was getting farther and farther away, while Emma found herself tripping and thoroughly frustrated with herself for feeling so stupid. Her father may have taught her to sword fight, and her mother may have _tried_ to help Emma master archery, but that hadn't really helped with the terrain or finding her way thing.

What a day. She groaned angrily, looking around desperately. What was that rule about moss? Oh, help.

It took a moment to calm down, and to stop berating herself. That certainly wasn't one of the things her parents would've done in a moment of... well, not crisis, per se. But distress, certainly. When she finally shut it down, and really started to listen, she heard something moving. Rushing, in fact. A stream?

A wide grin broke out over her face as she surged towards it, following along as quickly as she could without risking a twisted ankle or worse.

She couldn't know for sure, but the idea that he'd moved towards the coast made perfect sense, and as Emma got closer to the ocean, she realized just how out of place she looked. She wasn't some bar 'wench,' as sailors called them, so she collected her hair in her hands, twisting it and pushing it further back beneath her hood, trying to keep a low profile. It didn't hide the shorter, bright blonde pieces that framed her face, but it was something at least.

It was as her hands returned to the strap of her bag that she realized she'd lost sight of the thieving pirate. Oh, if her mother could see her now. Emma was hardly a tracker, but she hadn't though herself this poor of one. Immediately, she expected to find that he had instead managed to notice and then sneak up on her, but nothing happened. Frustrated, she continued towards the docks, her steps slowing until she finally came to a stop, gazing up at the sailboats and larger ships that littered the harbor.

And then she saw it: That inordinate amount of black leather.

He was up on a ship, parading about on the deck and barking orders. He gestured with his good arm – the right one, without the hook – towards the rigging on one of the ship's masts. Emma's eyes trailed along the side of the boat, finding the painted name carved into the wood. _The Jolly Roger_. What an odd name. It had a curiously nice ring to it, though.

She looked up to the deck once more beneath her hood, but froze instantly. He was watching her, curiosity and amusement pulling his lips into a smirk that was downright indecent. Sure, Emma hadn't the slightest experience with men, not half because her father would never have allowed it. Not extensively, anyway. Living a sheltered life was clearly not as interesting as... whatever that look was.

That, however, was entirely beside the point. She needed to get back whatever he'd stolen, both to help that merchant as well as to prove him wrong. She also rather liked the idea that could convince a man like _that_ to give up something he had worked so hard to steal.

As if she had even a clue as to how she could make that happen...

Emma's fingers closed around her cloak tightly, standing up straighter when she realized he'd started walking – sauntering, really – down the ramp towards her. About halfway down, he stopped, perhaps because she hadn't moved in return. His hand felt to his sword where it hung from his hip, though, and she realized that she was wrong. The lift of his chin told her that he just liked having the height advantage on her.

"Need something, love?"

Her eyebrows lifted and pulled together, skeptical but surprised. He was certainly confident, wasn't he? Trying to take on the same expressions she'd seen from the court ladies over the years, Emma glanced down, her teeth grazing her lower lip for a moment before she smiled and looked back up at him. The pirate's mouth opened slightly in surprise, one eyebrow arching.

"Actually," she drawled slowly, "yes."


	3. Chapter 3

As the pirate's eyebrow lifted, Regina barreled into a camp back in the forest just outside of Wortham. Surrounding a cold fire pit, there were a few tents and an uneven circle of trees to hide them from view, presumably, from random folks out on walks. Regina highly doubted that many people went on walks this far into the woods, but what did she know, really? She hadn't been raised like the princess, but her mother seemed determined to pretend she had.

More important than the tents, fire or trees, of course, were the men who were now openly staring at her in shock. Regina's expression was immediately defensive and unimpressed, but even she could admit that a woman chasing after a floating scrap of fabric was probably a bit off-putting.

"What's this, then?" one of the men questioned after a tense moment of silence. "Robin, what-?"

"I've no idea," the thief (Robin, evidently) replied firmly, his eyes narrowing slightly. They focused on Regina, then the fabric, and then back on her face before pure confusion took over. "What are you doing, madam?"

"Madam?" she scoffed, almost cracking a smile despite how badly she wanted to roll her eyes. Holding the scrap out so he could see that it was his, she frowned and watched as he held it up to the ripped edge of his cloak. "I see I can't have made a very strong impression if running into me _twice_ escaped your mind already."

Robin lifted his chin to look at her once more, baffled. "Apologies, milady. I meant neither offense nor harm, if I did indeed cause the latter."

Regina waved a hand, hardly caring. She had vastly more important things to worry about. Like the fact that she'd lost the princess of the Enchanted Forest but somehow found herself dealing with a criminal instead. "It doesn't matter. I need to speak with you. Privately."

The one who had spoken up first whistled, the others laughed, and Regina fixed them with such a threatening glare, opening her palm and letting a spark of flame light, that they shut up immediately. She wasn't surprised in the least. These men were clearly cowards with nothing better to do than steal from those who had worked for what they had. Equally unsurprisingly, Robin frowned at her and made it clear how wary he was.

Nevertheless, he made no move to run off. He gestured off towards the treeline instead. Regina tossed a last judgmental look at the rest of the men before trailing (or, well, more like storming) behind him. Robin stopped several hundred yards away, looking back at his camp to see if they were far enough away.

"What is it?" he asked, politeness lost in favor of getting answers and, most likely, getting rid of her.

Regina pursed her lips for a moment but decided that the conclusion she'd reached regarding the princess just could not be changed at this point. If she wanted the help she needed, there were few options. He wouldn't help her for no reason. Especially as a thief. "That woman I was with when you ran into me. Did you see her?"

He squinted a little but nodded.

"That young woman, unfortunately for you, was the princess. Out in the country for training but good of heart enough to want to catch and turn in a couple of thieves like you and your friend. Only now that friend is gone, and with him, so went Emma. Now you are going to take me to him, or you will find yourself an enemy of the crown."

She waited, but he just blinked at her. Robin shifted his weight, scratched at the back of his head, and even glanced around as he tried to – what, process it? Decide if she was mad? She wasn't. And perhaps he understood that, however belatedly, because he finally stopped moving and just looked at her.

"The princess? As in, Queen Snow and King David's daughter?"

Regina nodded, just once. She'd clearly made her point if the shock on his face was to be believed. It was almost too easy, though.

"Well, madam," he continued, dramatic concern blooming on his face and irritating Regina in just an instant. "If that's the case then you are indeed in a mess. But unfortunately, I don't know where he's gone."

"And if you did," she countered seriously, "I doubt you'd tell me for nothing. But perhaps I have something that will persuade you."

From inside her cloak, she drew out a coin engraved with the royal crest. It was only carried by those who worked in the castle, and was a smaller version of the ones the royal family wore on their person. It was impossible to copy, due to the intricate coloration and the fact that no one could get their hands on a coin unless they did something highly illegal. Being caught out as a liar, thief or murderer because of one of those coins... Well, it was dangerous to say the least.

Robin's eyes widened instantly, his mouth opening as well as he realized just how wrong he'd been. He stood up straighter, clearly uncertain what her status was but determined to make up for what he had done thus far.

"The pirate took her?" Robin asked finally, not quite recovered from his shock.

" _Pirate?_ "

* * *

The captain gestured for Emma to follow him onto the ship, and suddenly she felt her characterization slipping. She was sorely unprepared for things like this, and although that was not in the least surprising to her, it put her on edge. The princess was no frail thing that needed saving; she just didn't usually deal with men so trained in violence and danger.

She was only trained in swordplay, and her magic was basically missing in action. But if nothing else, she certainly had her wits about her.

Then again, when he looked at her over his shoulder, and smirked, she wasn't a hundred percent sure anymore.

"What is it you're after, love?" he asked as they made it up to the deck.

Emma, immediately on edge with the understanding that she was no longer on solid ground, let her fingers curl around the inside of her cloak in a nervous twitch she hoped he didn't notice. His attention, almost unbelievably, seemed trained on her eyes. She stepped closer, hoping to put him on edge. She couldn't tell if it worked, though.

"As I understand it," she began slowly, "you and a friend of yours stole something. I want to know what it was."

The pirate laughed openly, almost meanly. "I don't see what business that is of yours, lass."

He let his good hand fall to his sword hilt, the threat silent but blatant. Emma just lifted her chin, every inch the confident princess her father would've wanted her to be. Maybe not in front a pirate, sure, but still.

"Even still, I want to know. I saw you take whatever it was, and if someone like you has come all this way for it, then it must be quite valuable to the person who's just lost it."

"You some kind of hero, then?" he asked, sarcasm dripping from his words.

"I could be."

He ran his tongue across the back of his bottom teeth, a smile curving his lips. Her gaze fell to the movement, and she almost didn't notice when he stepped even closer to her, forcing her chin up in order to renew eye contact.

His head tilted to the side, fierce blue eyes rimmed in kohl looking her over unashamedly. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you," he warned, one eyebrow lifting.

Frankly, he had no business being so completely attractive. Emma pushed that directly to the back of her mind. He was a rogue, and a scoundrel, and it hardly mattered what he looked like when those traits also belonged to him. She would prove to her parents – and to Lady Regina – that she could not only handle herself, but could also help their kingdom like her parents had.

Emma's lips parted slightly, slipping into a daring smirk. If she was going to get anything out of him, she had to play his game. "Try me."

The glint in his eyes made it clear that he would actually love to do just that, but his hand moved, reaching into the inner pocket of his jacket. From inside, he withdrew a pouch and dangled it in front of her. She watched the movement of it, curiosity breaking through her guise of sheer confidence.

"Magic." His mouth caressed the word, tongue tripping over it carefully and slowly, drawing it out.

She couldn't help it. Her eyebrows lifted in surprise and open interest. "You have magic?" she asked at nearly just a whisper.

"Not of my own," he admitted, shrugging and moving to put the pouch back in his pocket. But her hand flew out to stop him, her fingers wrapping around his.

They both froze, watching each other silently. If it weren't for the noise of the docks and water around them, Emma might have thought that the world had gone quiet with the shock of it. Or maybe it was just her imagination that something had sparked beneath her fingertips. His fingers gripped the bag more tightly, shifting beneath her touch.

"What exactly are you doing, love?"

Emma just blinked up at him for a moment, trying to decide what the best plan was, in this instance. Her position as a princess was a dangerous thing to talk about when she did not have control over her magic enough to protect herself against this man and his crew. So she decided that, particularly given his piracy, she had a right to play him. Who would believe a pirate over a princess, anyway, if he made claims against her?

"I-" she started, dropping the facade in favor of another one: that of a lost, rather pathetic woman. "I'm just..."

The pirate's eyebrow lifted, clearly taken aback. "What interest do you have in a magic bean?"

She started, her mouth opening in surprise. "You have one?" Her attention jumped back to the bag. "Give it to me."

"Excuse me?" he jerked away, ripping his hand from hers and shoving the pouch back inside his jacket like he should have done before.

Emma let her expression fall into a dramatic pout. "I'm just trying to get home," she claimed. It wasn't strictly a lie, which she knew didn't make it okay so much as maybe less bad that she was trying to trick him. If he'd stolen something so important, then she surely had a right to try and gain an advantage for their kingdom. It was practically her job.

"Home to where?" he asked reluctantly.

"... the capitol."

When he rolled his eyes, she wasn't exactly surprised so much as disappointed. It just seemed like a lost cause, already. What a mess. She decided to give it one more shot, though the mention of a magic bean had given her a wonderful idea. Not that they'd ever get their hands on another one of course... Brilliant.

"That- that thief you were working with?" Emma continued, her voice an odd mix of timid and determined. Hopefully that made her seem more honest, even though all she really felt was guilty. Guilty, because she was either about to be caught in her lie, or was about to condemn a man she didn't know. "He knows I work at the castle. I guess he thought that he could get someone to pay ransom for me, but... I mean, apparently nobody would. So I guess he thought I'd make a good distraction while you two stole from him."

She shrugged but sort of rolled her eyes. She had to come off as hurt but strong, right? Otherwise he could just take advantage.

"I know you're a pirate and all, but surely you at least have honor when it comes to a woman who's been taken from her home?"

He squinted at her, and she couldn't tell if he was confused or just trying to catch her telling a lie. She had never really thought those nights playing cards with her family's guard, Graham, would come in handy but perhaps they were. Because although it surprised even her, he looked out at the docks and scowled like he could see the thief and express his ire from afar.

"You wouldn't believe it, lass, but I have a great respect for the queen. Her parents saved my brother and I back when we had nothing, so I owe them a great deal. In their stead, I owe their daughter, Snow." He finally looked at her again, jaw clenched. "Did he... hurt you?"

Emma shook her head fervently. She could always refute the claims later if this man tried to have the thief arrested. It was sneaky, but she needed that bean and she needed to get home in order to use it. If they could convince their enemies to take it for their own use, perhaps the war could end sooner. It was a solid backup plan, if nothing else. But she would never make a man out to be that sort of monster when he wasn't.

"The capitol is your home, then?" he asked, looking frustrated but oddly determined now. When she nodded, he did as well, firm now. "Very well. We will find the thief and take the both of you back."

He turned over his shoulder, heading below deck with purpose, but Emma could only stare after him, mouth agape. " _What_? Why? Can't we just go back instead?" she called after him.

"I may be a pirate, as you said, love. But I was a navy man once, and he deserves what's coming to him. Come along."

She hesitated, threw her hands in the air out of sheer frustration, and then stormed down the steps after him. "Won't you just get in trouble for your own crimes this way?"

"We'll see. Perhaps I'll pretend to be someone else. Perhaps you will see fit to vouch for me. Or I can just tell the story of my unwitting participation in this ordeal, and explain his betrayal. Regardless, I will not allow someone to fool me in this way and get away with it. And I _will_ see you home with justice."

He stopped at a door, turning to face her in the dark wood corridor of the underbelly of his ship.

"Who... Who are you?" Emma asked finally, baffled and half wishing she'd never even followed him. _Curse that stupid bean._

"I was once Lieutenant Killian Jones, of the royal navy. But now," he lifted his hook-ended arm, "people have taken to calling me Captain Hook. What shall I call you, love?"

She pressed her lips together, deciding to pretend that, rather than not having an answer, she wasn't sure if she was ready to trust him. But she finally came up with the name of her old nurse. "Alexis."

He nodded, pausing for a moment to look her over appraisingly, then turned and opened his door to show her into his quarters.


End file.
